Dial 'M' for Mother

Dial 'M' for Mother is the fourth episode of Season One of the show The Critic. It is the fourth overall episode of this show. Aired February 9th 1994 written by Mike Reiss and Al Jean.

Official DVD Summary
"Jay's attempt to show the world he can be warm by appearing with his mother on a talk show is a categorical failure: he just can't find anything nice to say about her."

Plot
Duke tells Jay that he is too negative, which is affecting his ratings, so he sets out to make Jay more likable. Duke first changes the set into a forest theme and gives Jay a toupee before dressing him up in camping gear.

During the taping of the show, Jay gets into a fight with a turkey and then wakes up a bear (who was previously doped) who ends up mauling him. Duke then gets another idea: Jay getting interviewed along with his mother. Jay asks Eleanor to join him in the interview, and she agrees.

Soon, Geraldo Rivera shows up at the Shermans' house, and during the interview, Eleanor embarrasses Jay to the point where he angrily tells her to shut up. Eleanor then runs off crying. Jay is soon treated as a pariah around town. He does attempt to apologize to Eleanor, but his apologies fall on deaf ears. Guilt makes its way to Jay, and he runs over to his parents' house to apologize once more, but Franklin tells him that Eleanor was taken to the hospital.

Jay heads over to the hospital and attempts to make amends, but Eleanor refuses to listen to him. Jay leaves, depressed, only to be admitted to the hospital himself. Eleanor returns, apologizing to Jay and they make up. Eleanor appears on an episode of Coming Attractions, where Jay sings to her and shares a dance, only to have other things happen at the same time to make it a happier ending for the test audience.

Characters

 * Adolf Hitler
 * Bear
 * Bill Clinton (mentioned)
 * Doris Grossman
 * Duke Phillips
 * Eleanor Sherman
 * Franklin Sherman
 * Geraldo Rivera
 * Jay Sherman
 * Lou Gehrig
 * Marty Sherman
 * Margo Sherman
 * Michael Dukakis
 * Richard Nixon
 * Shermometer
 * Stephanie
 * Terry Hawke
 * Turkey

Locations

 * 1988 Democratic National Convention
 * Central Park (opening)
 * Central Park Zoo (opening)
 * Hospital
 * Jay's Apartment (opening)
 * L'Ane Riche
 * New York City
 * Phillips Broadcasting
 * Residence of Eleanor and Franklin Sherman
 * Rockefeller Center (opening)
 * Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (opening)
 * United Nations Headquarters (opening)
 * Yankee Stadium

Objects

 * Cats (musical)
 * Celebrity Inquirer
 * Geraldo (TV series)
 * Lou Gehrig's Oil
 * Mothers Against Drunk Driving
 * Mothers Against Jay Sherman

Trivia

 * One of the mothers in the group Mothers Against Jay Sherman yells out "Whomp There He Is", which is likely an allusion to the popular song Whomp! (There It Is)
 * The title is an reference to the 1954 film.